Merit Maker "Pick Ups and Put Downs" Album Review

Written by Summer Knite

Philadelphia’s own Merit Maker dropped their latest record Pick Ups and Put Downs on June 22. This album sees the band embracing the pop punk side of their previous sound, making the listen a strong 2000s throwback while also bringing plenty new to the table. The band has a great energy and sound, made up of blistering drums, massive guitars, chunky bass, and pop punk vocals reminiscent of great bands like Anti-Flag.

“Right Here” wastes no time getting straight into the action, and this energy continues throughout the entire album. “False Starts” features some great vocal hooks, and shows that a lot of care went into the song structures on this project. The final chorus features layers of vocals over a gradually crescendoing instrumental, before fading out in an incredibly satisfying way.

Many of these tracks are 3 minutes or less, but a few of them reach the 4 minute mark. “Sparks Ignite” feels like the centerpiece of the project; marking the halfway point, its grand songwriting is a perfect showcase of the album. “By Design” uses a stop-start-stop-start rhythm that eventually switches back to the more traditional structure of this project with a tempo change. The closing track, “Over and Out” starts with a classic sounding bass line, gradually building up into a grand and massive chorus. The song features a cinematic guitar solo, before the band all come in with a massive final chorus before the song fades out to end the record.

Pick Ups and Put Downs is a pop punk triumph, and the band’s energy would translate perfectly to a live setting. Merit Maker’s sound is a throwback of the classic pop punk of the past, while also bringing plenty of great unique traits worth returning to.

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